Ed Miliband has been accused of breaking the Ministerial Code after his department approved an application for a solar farm owned by the millionaire Labour donor Dale Vince. The Telegraph has the story.
Last week, the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero signed off on Heckington Fen Solar Park, a 524-hectare solar farm in Lincolnshire, which is owned by Ecotricity, Mr Vince’s green energy company.
Ecotricity has donated £5.4 million to Labour since 2021, making Mr Vince one of the party’s most prominent business backers.
Nick Timothy, the Tory MP and Assistant Whip, has written to Sir Keir Starmer’s ethics adviser, urging him to investigate Mr Miliband.
In a letter to Sir Laurie Magnus, the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards, Mr Timothy pointed to a clause in the Ministerial Code that states no conflict should arise or “could reasonably be perceived to arise” between Ministers’ duties and private interests.
He wrote: “It seems clear that there is indeed such a conflict in this decision, and beyond doubt that it ‘could reasonably be perceived’ that a conflict has arisen, given the financial support given to Mr Miliband’s party by the applicant.
“Did Mr Miliband seek your advice on how to avoid or manage the perception of a conflict in making this decision? Did he seek the advice of his permanent secretary?”
Mr Timothy, the MP for West Suffolk, claimed the Energy Secretary had “fallen short” of public expectations, telling the Telegraph: “It is difficult to see how Ed Miliband has not broken the Ministerial Code in making this decision, which benefits a significant Labour donor.
“There is no case for constructing these giant solar and battery farms on agricultural land, but Miliband’s Net Zero zealotry means more of these monstrosities are heading for rural communities.
“The Government has questions to answer not only about its links to Dale Vince but also about the absurdity of this rush to intermittent and unreliable renewables.”
The Energy Department said it was Lord Hunt, a Minister, and not Mr Miliband who was responsible for signing off on the solar farm.
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